More Than 68,000 Minnesotans Enrolled Through MNsure by December 31, Reflecting Vastly Improved Consumer Experience

ST. PAUL, Minn.-MNsure successfully enrolled 68,851 Minnesotans into comprehensive, affordable health insurance as of December 31, bringing to a close the deadline for January 1 coverage, MNsure announced today.

The MNsure IT system remained stable for consumers and provided a smoother consumer experience for the vast majority of shoppers.

"When I joined MNsure just over a year ago, I said on day one that my focus would be firmly on improving the consumer experience. MNsure has made tremendous strides as an organization, resulting in a vastly improved consumer experience-but open enrollment continues, as does our round-the-clock work to make enrollment easier for Minnesotans," said CEO Scott Leitz. "We continue to be dedicated to reaching those Minnesotans who still need the peace of mind that health insurance coverage brings."

The next deadline is January 15 for those consumers who need coverage to begin February 1. February 15 is the deadline for March 1 coverage and the final deadline to enroll during the regular open enrollment period. Minnesotans eligible for MinnesotaCare or Medical Assistance can enroll year-round.

As of December 31, preliminary numbers indicate 31,159 Minnesotans have enrolled into commercial coverage through MNsure. This number is expected to grow as passive renewals are added to the enrollment total. 11,152 have newly enrolled into MinnesotaCare, and 26,540 have newly enrolled into Medical Assistance. Updated MNsure enrollment numbers will be made public at MNsure board meetings or on previously scheduled weekly enrollment advisories.

A Year Makes a Critical Difference in Enrollment

Between October 1 and December 31, 2013, 25,860 consumers had enrolled into commercial coverage through MNsure within about a 13-week period. In marked contrast, between November 15 and December 31, 2014, 31,159 were enrolled into commercial coverage in about six and a half weeks, nearly half the time.

Of the 31,159 enrolled into commercial coverage:

10,530 were renewed enrollments, and

7,172 were 2014 PreferredOne enrollees who enrolled into a new MNsure commercial plan.

MNsure's Contact Center received 70,971 calls in December 2013. In 2014, there was an increase to 120,266 calls in December, a 69 percent increase in call volume with the vast majority of consumers calling asking "how to enroll."

Wait times also came down dramatically in 2014: the average wait time decreased from one hour and two minutes for December 2013 to five minutes and 48 seconds for December 2014.

Broker Walk-In Enrollment Sites Help More Than 1,000 Minnesotans Get Enrolled

For more than 1,000 Minnesotans, the in-person help provided at the six MNsure broker enrollment sites across the state meant they were able to get questions answered and to get enrolled in commercial coverage.

This means walk-in centers are well on their way to surpassing projections even before the majority of targeted marketing begins on their behalf.

As part of a more streamlined and coordinated effort with our outreach and enrollment grantees, grantee organizations have reached 73,648 individuals through direct outreach and education activities, held more than 1,037 outreach activities and have assisted nearly 8,000 people with enrollments.

Consumers who have already enrolled and received an email confirmation from MNsure do not need to call to confirm their enrollment or take any further action until they receive information from their insurance company. Consumers will receive an invoice from their health insurance company and should pay the insurance company directly by the due date listed on the invoice.

Open enrollment for 2015 coverage began November 15, 2014, and ends February 15, 2015. Minnesotans eligible for Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare can enroll year round. As of May 2014, 95 percent of Minnesotans have health coverage-the highest percentage in state history.